Elijah Tsatas (born 18 October 2004) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 AFL national draft.
Early Life and Junior Career
Tsatas grew up in Burwood, Victoria, and played junior football for the Surrey Park Panthers in the Yarra Junior Football League (YJFL). He attended Wesley College and played school football in the Associated Public Schools (APS) competition. Tsatas also played for the Oakleigh Chargers in the NAB League prior to being drafted. He is close friends with fellow 2022 draftee George Wardlaw, with whom he played football from childhood.
AFL Career
Tsatas was recruited by Essendon with pick No. 5 in the 2022 national draft. The club reportedly rejected several lucrative trade offers from other clubs to secure the selection. Prior to the draft, Tsatas suffered a serious foot injury that kept him from playing for three months, though he recovered in time to perform before being interviewed.
In his first pre-season with Essendon, Tsatas suffered an acute meniscus tear in his knee that required surgery, causing him to miss the start of the 2023 AFL season. He made his AFL debut in round 21 of the 2023 season against West Coast. He kicked his first career goal in round 22 of the 2023 season against North Melbourne.
Through the 2026 season, Tsatas has played 22 AFL games and kicked 4 goals. He is described as a midfielder-wingman who "can run and carry, has a knack of finding space at stoppages, and has good disposal." His career-best AFL performance in terms of clearances came against Adelaide in round 2 of the 2025 season, where he recorded 11 clearances while playing through a hand injury.
Player Profile
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Elijah Tsatas |
| Date of birth | 18 October 2004 (age 21) |
| Original team | Oakleigh Chargers / Wesley College |
| Draft | No. 5, 2022 national draft |
| Height | 187 cm (6 ft 2 in) |
| Weight | 80 kg |
| Position | Midfielder |
| Current club | Essendon |
| Number | 5 |
| Debut | Round 21, 2023 |
AFL Statistics
Updated to round 14, 2026
| Season | Team | Games | Kicks | Handballs | Disposals | Marks | Tackles | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Essendon | 4 | 35 | 30 | 65 | 15 | 11 | 1 |
| 2024 | Essendon | 7 | 34 | 37 | 71 | 18 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | Essendon | 5 | 40 | 44 | 84 | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| 2026 | Essendon | 6 | 63 | 82 | 145 | 26 | 9 | 1 |
| Career | 22 | 172 | 193 | 365 | 64 | 31 | 4 |
Sources: AFL Tables, Essendon Football Club official website, Wikipedia.
